
PERSEVERANCE IN STUDY THE ONLY WAY TO THE ATTAIN- 
MENT OF KNOWLEDGE. 



AN 



ADDRESS 



DELIVERED AT THE 



Sus(|ucljEitiia ifcmalc €Q\lqt, 



FEBRUARY 6. 1861. 



BY REV. D. H. FOCHT, A. M. 

Pastor gf the Lutherax Church, New Bloomfield, Pa. 



SELINSGROYE : 

PRINTED AT THE ''KIRCHENBOTE " OFFICE. 
1861. 



PERSEVERANCE IN STUDY THE ONLY WAY TO THE ATTAIN- 
/ MENT OF KNOWLEDGE. 



AN 



ADDRESS 



DELIVERED AT THES 



mspelanM Jfmab College, 



FBBKUARY 6. 1861 



BY REV. D. H. FOCHT, A. M. 

• f 

Pastor of the Lutherast Church, New Bloojifield, Pa. 



SELINSGROVE: 

PRINTED AT THE " KIRGHENBOTE " OFFICE. 

1861. 



,T4 



Published by request. 



Ill Excl>anii-e 

Peabody Inst, of Balto* 

June 14 1927 



2liiir£.$s. 



(^' 



Ladies and Gentlemen: 

The beginning of most things is on a low scale. 
This is true of the vegetable and of the animal kingdom, 
of the kingdom of mind — true of the whole universe 
of created things. The parts of things may all be pre- 
sent in the germ, but all these parts are susceptible of 
advancement, of growth, of development, or of change. 
This law pervades the mental as well as the physical 
world. Some things, as those of the vegetable and brute 
creation, admit of improvement in a particular sphere 
and to a particular degree ; but when they have reached 
the status prescribed by the Creator, they will begin to 
fall back to their original state. Deterioration begins 
where progress ceases. This is also the case with the 
material part of man, bating the resurrection of his body. 
But it is not so with the immortal mind in its normal 
state . From its susceptibility of indefinite improvement 
in time, we may infer that the soul will continue to make 
advancement in knowledge, and progress in the deve- 
lopment of all its powers, through all eternity. "For 
now we see through a glass, darkly ; but then face to 
face ; now I know in part ; but then shall I know even 
as also I am known." If the mind, then, is susceptible 
of such illimitable development, what grandeur and 
dignity invest it, and what boundless fields of knowl- 
edge from the cradle onward through eternity lie open 



to its intelligent inspection ! The universe of worlds, 
of suns and stars, as well as the mote in the sunbeam, 
— the display of creative Omnipotence as well as the 
laws by which worlds are governed, — will all afford 
material for the exercise of the immortal mind, and fill 
it with adoring praise and gratitude to God and unboun- 
ded joy in its own god-like existence. 

But though the mind is susceptible of such vast and 
illimitable development in our present state of existence, 
it is only by close and constant application that its pow- 
ers are brought into exercise and knowledge is obtained. 
Hence, on this occasion, our theme is : 
Perseverance in study the only way to the attainment of 

knowledge, 
1. It matters not what our advantages or circumstan- 
ces in life may be, if we would know we must study. 
Knowledge cannot be conferred ; it must be sought and 
acquired. Let no one think that he can gain knowledge 
without labor ; knowledge is the reward of labor. 

Knowledge is not inherited. However much our pa- 
rents or friends may know, if we would know we must 
labor as though they knew nothing; To this rule there 
is no exception. Riches and many other things, for 
which we labored not, may become ours by inheritance. 
But knowledge must be acquired by our own industry. 
Here each one must labor for himself. Here all are on 
equal footing, and all have an equal chance, by close 
application, of i.ttaining a respectable position. No one 
^'s excluded from gaining possession of this inestimable 
prize ; but no one, who will not incessantly toil and la- 
bor, will ever come in posession of it, no matter what 



his curcumstances in life may be. Knowledge is the re- 
sult of severe mental labor, and inseparably connected 
with it. On this subject let no one deceive himself. 
"He which soweth sj)aringly, shall reap also sparingly ; 
and he which soweth bountifully, shall reap also boun- 
tifully." As certainly as "in the sweat of thy face 
thou shalt eat bread", so certainly shalt thou in the ex- 
ercise of thy brain attain knowledge. But mark the 
distinction : others may labor for your bread, whilst 
for knowledge you must labor yourself. So far, then, 
as your mental attainments are concerned, you have by 
your own exertion made of yourssjf what }■ ou are ; and 
if you would make still higher attainments it must be 
by your own efforts. 

No fortuitous combination of favorable circumstances 
can serve as a substitute for hard mental labor in the 
acquisition of knowledge. Good training in the flxmily, 
plenty of good books, educated society, good schools and 
competent teachers, are all invaluable aids and cannot 
be apj)reciated too highly. Still, without mental exer- 
cise and labor on our part, all these advantages will avail 
us nothing. Not he who has the best and most oppor- 
tunities gains most knowledge ; on the contrary, he it 
is who thinks most, observes closest, and studies hard- 
est. In fact, the want of advantages seems, in some 
persons, only to kindle desire into a passion for knowl- 
edge. This is true of those especially who would be 
and know something. On the contrary, he who will 
not apply his mind and think for himself will always 
remain a dolt, no matter how propitious the circumstan- 
ces that surround him. But we are happy to say, that 



no one need drag out a life in ignorance. In an age 
and a free country like ours, we may congratulate our- 
selves that the high-way to knowledge, though labori- 
ous, is open and free to all who would walk in it. Here 
the most disfavored mav vie with the most favored 
and outstrip him in the race. Favorable circumstances 
without studying have never made a scholar ; but close 
and continued application, though in unfavorable cir- 
cumstances, must result in a glorious harvest of knowl- 
edge. 

The 230ssession of great natural talents, without diligent 
study, will not avail us so far as knowledge is concerned. 
It is admitted of course, that the possession of such talents 
is a great blessing and that, other things being equal, 
the possessor of them has a great advantage over others 
not so highly gifted. Still, men said to have been bless- 
ed with great minds, were invariably, if not always, di- 
ligent and persevering students. Read, for instance, 
the life of Luther, of Isaac Newton, of Chalmers, of 
Webster, and you will at once see that these men, and 
other great men, were untiring students all their life 
time. They did not gain knov/ledge intuitively. It 
was only by dint of severe mental labor that they were 
enabled to shine as stars of the first magnitude in the 
intellectual firmament. Were you to apply j'ourself to 
study as persistingly as they did, you might perhaps 
one day shine as brightly as they did. Or, if you should 
not be able to soar as high as they did, you may by 
being near the earth serve so much the better as guid- 
ing-star to others. Let no one be discouraged. As the 
mind l)y exercise may be improved and developed in- 



definitely, a man of mediocrity of talents may by perse- 
verance in study become distinguished for his knowl- 
edge. There is unquestionably^a difference between 
the capacity of mind in different individuals ; but whilst 
this is admitted, it is equally true that this difference is 
vastly more increased by the difference of application 
to study by different persons than is generally supposed. 
A mind in its normal state, though^of middling capaci- 
ty only, may by industry become great and leave its 
impress on the world of mankind. Hence, whilst he 
who fancies himself possessed of a more than ordinary 
mind, and foolishly reclines on this conceit^in indolence, 
another one with less talents, and of course with less 
self-conceit, diligently improves the"^little he has, and 
unexpectedly, but most surely, eclipses the lazy giant. 
No block of marble is so refractory but that the free ap- 
plication of the chisel will give it shape and make it an- 
swer some good pur230se. But the chisel must be ap- 
plied no matter what the quality of the marble may be. 
In like manner, every one, whether he possesses great 
talents or not, must apply himself unreservedly to study 
if he would gain knowledge and become useful to others. 
A man may be a genius in a particular thing and yet 
be very deficient in general knowledge. Like the boy 
Ferguson, he may mark the position of the stars accu- 
rately with a thread and beads, and with his knife con- 
st^Hict a watch from wood, and yet his attainments in 
other'respects be very limited. Hence, whilst such instan- 
ces of genius^are very rare, they at the same time prove 
the absolute necessity of severe study in order to gene- 
ral knowledge. The genius must apply himself closely 



8 

if he would know anything that lies beyond the peculiar 
range of his mind; for while he excels in one thing, he 
is almost always deficient in other things. Besides, we 
must not forget, that as he has a natural bent of mind 
for one particular subject, it is to this, also, that he de- 
votes all his time and study to the almost total exclu- 
sion of every other subject ; and because he so concen- 
trates all the powers of his mind on his favorite study 
he excels in that study. The genius studies too, and 
that most intensely; and it may be that he is a genius, 
because he studies only one subject thoroughly. See, 
with what unremitting patience and untiring persever- 
ance he pursues his darling subject! What constant 
solicitude knits his brow, and the very mention of the 
subject he has in hand kindles enthusiasm in his eye. 
In his estimation no subject is worthy of attention, but 
the one that engrosses his mind, and this one he there- 
fore studies until it assumes, in his view, a prominence 
and importance before which every thing else dwindles 
into insignificance. The genius is a close, but one-sided 
student. From his untiring application to the study of 
one subject, we may learn how necessay it is that we 
study if we would know. For if the mastering of one 
subject requires such intense and persistent effort on the 
part of a genius, how much greater must our efforts be, 
who are no geniuses, to master not only one subject, 
but to gain a general knowledge of things in general ! 

Knowledge is not gained by transient or spasmodic ef- 
forts. It is a common thing to find persons, who, on 
hearing or reading something, instantly lay hold of it 
with great eagerness ; but when the novelty of their 



9 

pet subject has passed away, they as instantly dismiss 
it and catch at something else. Sometimes by a single 
lecture on phrenology or mesmerism, a whole communi- 
ty is started from its slumbers ; for a short time every 
body will then study phrenology, and everywhere they 
will be engaged in feeling each other's heads, just as if 
i^hey had now for the first time found out that they had 
heads. But as the excitement about their heads gradu- 
ally subsides, the subject — j)hrenology — is dismissed 
from the mind, and no one is the wiser for having 
thought on it. Some there are who to day study theo- 
logy, to morrow law, and probably the next day me- 
dicine ; others for a few days study mathematics, and 
next week, tired of figures, they study geology, but as 
this requires more thought than they are willing to exer- 
cise, they study astronomy the week following. In this 
way men may study many things, and w^ith all know 
very little, and that little will be superficial and de- 
tached. Thus, much money is often spent for books, 
much precious time is wasted, and still no progress in 
knowledge is made. A certain professional character, 
on being told that a knowledge of the Latin language 
was indispensable to a finished education, at once con- 
cluded to study that language, glorying in the idea of 
becoming a finished scholar in a short time. He was 
all in excitement on the subject ; he must be a latinist 
at once. At considerable expense he bought a gram- 
mar, dictionary, and a number of the Latin classics. So 
far all was right and went easy enough. But as the 
grammar was the smallest volume in the lot, he laid 
that aside as of smallest value to him; and as the die- 



10 

tionarj was the largest of the books, he concluded to 
commence studying that, fully determined to commit 
every word it contained ; but as he knew uothing about 
the inflection of nouns and verbs, you may imagine his 
mortification, when, in attempting to read Latin, he 
could not find the words sought. He laid all the blame on 
the dioitionary, declaring that it was a bad one. When 
he was told what course to pursue, in quick despair he 
laid all his Latin books on the shelf, and the money he 
so much needed was buried in the dust. Ah. how many 
would like to be learned, but how few lil^e to labor for 
knowledge ! Knowledge comes not by way of fits and 
starts. 

Nor is knowledge gained by forced measures or in 
iuiste. Some things admit of being forced on us, but 
knowledge is none of these. The mind must by its own 
energy develop from within outward, going forth in 
search of that which it would understand. The student 
must seek and pursue the subject, and not be j)ursued 
by the subject. There must be growth from within. 
Knowledge cannot be imposed as so many layers from 
without. If it could be so imposed it would be the 
easiest thing in the world to become learned, and the 
difference of aptitude to learn, observable in different 
minds, would not exist. But, . on the contrary, there 
must be ment^il labor and activity in order to mental 
improvement. Hence, the teacher always seeks to have 
Ills pupil exercise his mind, and where this cannot l>e af- 
fected there can ]je no progress in kno-wledge, It is by 
exercise that the mind gains strength and aquires 
knowledge. Thip. is, however^ not the result oa ^ dnv'w 



M 

labor, but of close and constant application for years ; 
or, as Ca3Har in fewer words would have expressed it, 
Festina lente, that is, study thoroughly as you proceed, 
and though your progress may seem to be slow, you 
will in the end find it to be the fastest and best way to 
get knowledge. The student, who is thorough in his 
preparation, forms habits of mind that will characte-rizc 
him through life, and lays a foundation deep and broad 
for a glorious superstructure. The true student is his 
own teacher far more and in a far higher sense than his 
instructor can ever be. He has no disposition to walk 
with crutches under his arms when he has limbs of his 
own to support him. With him haste consists in tho- 
roughness, and his thoroughness is the result of his pa- 
tience and indomitable perseverance in study. He needs 
no stimulus to urge him forward, or hot-bed to hasten 
his growth upward. Aids he will use, not that they 
should raise him up, but that by them he may raise him- 
self. And every round he makes upward will fill him 
with satisfaction and joy inexpressibly great. That foi' 
which he labored he may call his own, and he will xffhio 
it as he cannot the labor of another. As the field of 
knowledge is open to one, so it is open to all, and all 
are invited to enter it and reap for et-ernity. 

2. Having looked at the negative side of this subject, 
w^e will now consider its positive side. For whilst we 
have no hope of gaining knowledge by relying on any- 
thing that does not imply severe mental labor, we have 
at the same time the full and glorious assurance that 
proper efforts on our part will secure for us the much 
desired prize. The course to be pursued is a plain one, 
and one which lies open to all. 



12 

There must be perseverance. As in every thing else, 
so here if we would succeed w^ must press forward and 
upward. If there are difficulties in our way, we must 
have courage to labor, till they are removed or over^- 
come. As by continued use the weak arm will become 
strong and things difficult easj^, so it is with the mind. 
Go slowly if you cannot run, and you will gather strength 
until you can run. Only yield to no difficulty. The 
day of small things is not to be des23ised. Let the an- 
cient proverb be your motto : Nulla dies sine linea. Let 
not a day pass without acquiring some knowledge. The 
13rocess may seem to be a slow one, but it is all the bet- 
ter and surer for that. Great results are generally the 
offspring of slow, hard and long-continued effi^rts. In 
composing The Analogy of Religion, a comparatively 
small book, Joseph Butler was engaged during a period 
of twenty years, writing and re-writing different parts 
of it, studying every word and phrase, until it express- 
ed precisely his meaning and no more. Here was per- 
severance. As the result of this labor for so many 
years, few books, if any in our language, contain more 
in less space and few are to be read with greater j^rofit 
than Butler's Analogy. That which costs us little is 
usually worth little. This is true especially of knowl- 
edge. Some minds move and act slowly at first ; but 
by perseverance in study, they may gradually move 
promptly and display great energy. The apparently 
weak intellect may become strong, and the dull may 
become bright. The unwrought diamond may be dim^ 
but when polished it is transparent as water. The slow- 
er and harder it is to polish the mind, the more solid 



13 

and clear it may become. Let no one be discouraged 
after having made one, tAvo, or even a score of unsuc- 
cessful efforts. In translating the Bible into German, 
Luther and his learned coadjutors sometimes spent two, 
three, and even four weeks, in ascertaining the true 
meaning and giving a correct rendering of a single 
word. * Than this, perhaps, no better example of pa- 
tient perseverance can be given to encourage those who 
.meet with difficulties in their path-way to knowledge, 
and especially those who encounter difficulties in the 
study of the languages. Having before us such an ex- 
ample of perseverance on the part of men so eminently 
gifted, who of us need now despair? I say, then, cling 
to your subject, pursue it on every line, view it on every 
side, until you can look all around it, see through it, 
master it, triumph over it, and reap the bliss your vic- 
tory yields. What others did you may do. There is 
no height to which you may not ascend, and there is no 
depth to which you may not dive. What at first was 
dark will gradually melt into light, what was hard will 
become easy, and what was intricate will become simple. 
To presevere is to bear away the crown. 

Study one thing at a time, and dismiss it not until 
you are master of it. Study things, not books. One 
subject well understood is a great attainment. Bring 
all the powers of the mind to bear on one point, until 
you have a clear view of all its surroundings, and then 
you may congratulate yourself that you know at least 
one thing. Be exact and careful in all your studies, al- 
ways doing your utmost. Attend to small things, and 

>■ Lutlvi-'s Gernum Works: Eriangcn Eel, Vol G5, ;; 109- 



14 

continuallj seek for errors and correct them. Criticise 
j^our own performances or productions severely. Be 
negligent in nothing — be on your guard in every thing. 
Spare no labor to attain the highest degree of excellence. 
Demosthenes is said to have transcribed the literary 
productions of Thucydides eight times over with his own 
hand, so diligently did he persevere to form an intimate 
acquaintance with his style, and habituate himself to 
his quick manner of conception, and to his close and 
rapid delivery. Here was perseverance to attain a 
great degree of excellence. I need not tell you who and 
what Demosthenes was, except this, that it was by hard 
labor and unbending perseverance that he was made a 
great orator. All his efforts were directed to the gain- 
ing of one thing, and he succeeded pre-eminently. If 
we cannot excel in every thing, we may by close ap- 
plication and perseverance excel at least in one thing. 
If you cannot master many subjects, then be Homo 
unius lihri, and thus, by knowing one subject thoroughly, 
you will have gained a prominent position. But by 
mastering one subject, we prepare the way to success- 
fully master other subjects. One step gives us motive 
force enough to take another, until we find pleasure 
and not labor, in the act of walking. Thus, by diligent- 
ly improving the little we have, we shall receive more, 
and in this way our store of knowledge will gradually 
accumulate, and instead of knowing little we shall know 
a great deal. Let the man of one book take courage. 

By studying one subject at a time, we shall be able 
more fully to Hx and concentrate our minds, and our 
investigation of an}- given subject will be so much the 



15 

liiore thorough. But to study slowly and thoroughly, 
a large share of patience is required. If a man can not 
take time to study a subject well, he lacks one of the 
chief elements of a good student, and will accomplish 
nothing that is of any value to others, or that will live 
after he is dead. Patient perseverance is absolutely 
necessary to the acquisition of knowledge. On his 
Bridge water Treatise, on Geology and Mineralogy , Dr. 
Buckland is said to have bestowed unusual pains. He 
re-wrote it repeatedly, and re-copied it as many as seven- 
teen times. What patience was required here ! What 
labor, intense labor, continued through many years, 
was bestowed on one subject ! And what was the result ? 
— So fully, accurately, and thoroughly did he study his 
subject, that his Treatise has always been the most po- 
pular of the incomparable Bridge water series. With 
such an example of indefatigable labor, patience and 
perseverance, before us, no one should complain if he 
fails after having made only a few attempts. Let him 
concentrate all the powers of his mind on one subject 
for a score of years, exercise his thoughts and patience 
to the utmost, seek for light in every direction and fol- 
low every opening avenue for information, and if he does 
not succeed in gaining- knowledge, then he may justly 
complain and despair too. His mind is of a peculiar 
cast. 

As long as we live we should seek to add something, 
every day, to our store of knowledge. There is scarcely 
an object or circumstance, not a person or book, from 
which we may not learn sometliing we did not know 
before. The world is a great book, spreading out to 



u 

our iiispeci ion its ample folds, and without cost teaching 
us wisdom on every page. He that has eyes may here 
read, and he that has understanding may here learn. 
Close observation united w^ith reflection will furnish us 
with many useful lessons, not to be learned in any other 
way. Thus, that invaluable little book, The improve- 
ment of the mind, contains the substance of what Mr. 
Watts saw, heard, read, and observed among mankind, 
during a period of twenty years. We all enjoy the 
same facilities for observation he did, and all may gather 
for themselves an abundant harvest of useful knowledge. 
When the habit of close observation is once formed, the 
mind will be constantly uj)on the alert, anxiously scan- 
ning every passing object or event, every person, action 
or expression, seeking to gain knowledge, enjoyment, 
or warning from all. If a man will but think, he can 
by observation learn more that is truly valuable than 
many books can teach him. He is his own teacher, 
original in his ideas, and always alive to the beauties of 
nature. Every day will furnish him with new subjects 
for thought, and if his is an inquiring mind a thousand 
questions will suggest themselves for solution. All na- 
ture, spread at his feet, invites his attention and challen- 
ges his inspection and admiration. The leaflet that 
trembles in the breeze, the insect that floats in the sun- 
beam, — from the smallest to the greatest, above and 
around him — everywhere and in every thing, he sees 
or hears something from which he may gain knowledge. 
Study, then, the book of nature, — study always, and 
you will not be without knowledge. I do not say book- 
knowledge ; for if you truly seek knowledge, you will 



17 

use every aid in your reach, comparing your observa- 
tion with what you read, or verifying and enlarging on 
that which others studied before you. HapjDy is he who 
can make every thing subservient to his mental improve- 
ment. The more he knows the more he wants to know, 
and the more he will know. 

If we would advance in knowledge there must, on our 
part, be independent exercise of mind. By this we do 
not mean that the advice, opinion, or instruction of our 
superiors is to be set aside. This would be arrogant 
and ]3resumptuous, and would cut off one of the very 
means by which we are to attain knowledge. Our 
meaning is, that whilst we avail ourselves of every aid 
in our reach, we must try to aid ourselves by our own 
efforts. He who always depends on others, and has no 
mind of his own, will never make a scholar ; he will 
always falter and limjD, and can never stand erect. He 
has no confidence in himself and never can have. He 
knows and retails only what others know, and knows 
nothing that they did not know before. Popular opin- 
ion is the rule according to which he forms his opinion. 
In short, he is at best only an imitator or a cojDyist. By 
pursuing such a course a man does injustice to himself; 
he does injury to his mind, as its energies are not brought 
into action. Slavish dependence on others must there- 
fore be avoided as the deadliest enemy to mental im- 
provement. It is the duty of every man to think, and 
so to think as to be able intelligently to adopt or reject 
whatever may be taught or propounded by others. We 
must study to understand a subject before we presume 
to pronounce an opinion respecting it. Hence, in all 



18 

the affairs of life, if we would not fall into gross errors^ 
we must think. And we are often placed in such cir- 
cumstances where no one can think for us. In all we 
read or hear, do or see done, we must think if we would 
make progress in knowledge.. In our studies, in our 
intercourse with men, everywhere and at all times, let 
the mind be busy, reason out if possible every difiiculty, 
account if it can for every phenomenon in nature, trace 
effects to their causes and seek the causes for effects, 
study the principles on which things are done and on 
which results depend, search out the reason for things, 
and in every way seek to improve the mind and store 
it with knowledge both by the failings and successes of 
others. Work your own mental powers, and depend not 
too much on others to do the work for you ; for if they 
do your thinking they will be the gainers and you the 
loser. Every question the teacher solves for the pupil, or 
every sentence he translates for him, is so much of a 
loss to the mental improvement of the pupil. As much 
as lies in you do your own thinking, and by so doing 
you will gain vigor, strength and independence of mind, 
and reap a glorious harvest in the great jDrogress you 
will make in the acquisition of knowledge. 

But whilst we would urge you to think for yourself, 
we would not have you forget that on your part great 
self-denial and humility must be exercised . To study hard 
is to labor hard. And without the exercise of self-de- 
nial no one need hope to make much progress in his 
studies. If we would know much, we must be willing 
to endure severe toil as long as we live. The flesh and 
vanities of the world must all be denied ; the roving 



19 

mind must be collected and brought under the discipline 
of an all-controlling will ; and all the powers of the 
soul must bend to our subject, clinch it, and grapple 
with it, until we are master of it. This may all seem 
to be hard ; and so it is ; but there is ''not a bitter that 
has not its sweet," Delight and satisfaction at our suc- 
cess in labor will out- weigh by far all the pain this la- 
bor gives. The harder and the more compact the rock 
the smoother and brighter the polish. To gain knowl- 
edge, who would not labor for it ? And laboring for 
it, who is there that does not gain it ? And gaining it, 
who would part with it for all the world can give ? Part 
with it ! no, knowledge gained' in time is gained for 
eternity ! It is inalienable ; it is an element of the soul, 
and lives immortal with the immortal soul. But whilst 
knowledge wings the soul, it also clothes it with humili- 
tij. And herein consists the real beauty of knowing 
much. Though Sir Isaac Newton was the discoverer 
of the nature of light and color, of fluxions, of the laws 
of gravitation, and unfolded to the world the theory of 
the universe, yet with deep humility he said, "I seem 
to myself to be like a child, picking up a shell here and 
there, on the shore of the great ocean of truth." The 
more we know, the more clearly will we see that we 
know so little, and this will humble us ; but to know 
how little we know is a great attainment, and the sure 
mark of a truly great mind. Few are so ignorant but 
might tell even a great scholar some things he did not 
know before. Hence, in all your studies be humble, lest 
an unpretending chimney-sweeper humble you in a way 
and under circumstances you would very much dislike. 



20 

In truth, a man of education cannot but be humble in 
view of his ignorance of so many things. And when- 
ever you meet a man who prides himself in his supposed 
great knowledge, you need not fear him, for he has not 
yet learned to know that he knows so little. Never 
think yourself so wise that you would not stoop to learn 
of a beggar by the way-side, and never vaunt over ig- 
norance, for the simple reason that you will always be 
ignorant enough to learn of the ignorant. The more 
you know, the more will you see that is to be known. 
The higher you rise, the more extended will the area of 
your mental vision become, until the heavens above you 
are all tremulous with roseate glory, shedding their 
sweet influences down ; but beyond all conception deep 
and far shine the bright stars, and their solemn depths 
speak forth the awe and lesson of their mystery, only 
too vast and sublime for the finite mind to comprehend. 
In deep humility we must close our eyes and bow our 
head, crying out, "Great is the Lord God Almighty, 
and his works by searching who can understand !" 

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." 
An eye to God must both quicken and direct all our 
pursuits of knowledge. Without the fear and love of 
God in the heart, a man may know much, and yet be 
very ignorant of himself and' the glories of which the 
earth is full. If piety is necessary to make an orator, 
much more is it necessary to him who would gain and 
appreciate knowledge. In all your studies, seek to 
know yourself, your frailty and ignorance, your sins of 
omission and commission, the depravity and wickedness 
of your heart, and. the blindness of your reason and the 



21 

perversity of your judgment. He only is a real student 
who seeks in the blood of Jesus a cure for his heart and 
in the teachings of the Bible a cure for his head. Hearti- 
ly study with a sincere desire to glorify God with your 
knowledge and to benefit your fellow-men. As you 
have many obstacles to encounter in the pursuit of 
knowledge, look to God in fervent, believing prayer for 
assistance. The Holy Scriptures encourage you to do 
so. Says James, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him 
ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and up- 
braideth not; and it shall be given him." Here is 
your warrant for prayer to God for light and wisdom. 
The experience of LuTPiER on this point was not limited, 
and he says : ''Bene orasse est bene studuisse.^' Religion 
exalts the mind and moves the affections, brings us in 
communion with the great God, the fountain of all wis- 
dom, and sheds a halo of unsullied glory on our pathway 
through life. Prayer is a help to study. Pious Dodd- 
ridge says, "that he never advanced well in human 
learning without prayer, and that he always made the 
most proficiency in his studies when he prayed with the 
greatest fervency." This is the testimony of all good 
and great men. Daily study your Bibles and daily 
pray to God for guidance, light and wisdom, and you 
will find study a pleasure and knowledge a crown of 
glory. 

3. Although great self-denial and incessant toil for 
years are required to gain knowledge, still we would 
have no one shrink or be discouraged from entering the 
arena and do his utmost to win the crown . And there 
is a crown in reserve for every one who \^all make the 



22 

proper exertion. There are weighty reasons why each 
one should resolve by the aid of God to rise as high as 
possible in the scale of intellectual being. The soul im- 
mortal, possessed of unbounded aspirations, cannot be 
chained down or be satisfied with knowing little or no- 
thing when there is so much to be known. By giving 
us these aspirations, we may be sure that our Creator 
designed that they should be gratified in the use of the 
proper means. 

Knowledge may he ours, and therefore we should seek 
it at every sacrifice. Say not that you labor under in- 
seperable difficulties, — that you are without means and 
possess only an ordinary mind. If you have but one 
talent, improve that faithfully and you shall have more. 
Think not of your disadvantages or of the advantages 
of others, but think of your own great advantages. 
Think of the many good books you may obtain to aid 
you, of the many precious hours you may save for study 
of the many opportunities you have in untokl ways to 
gain information, and of the many calls and incentives 
to study and imj)rove your mind. Rise above your dis- 
advantages by causing them to turn to your advantage, 
— by making them serve as so many incentives to study. 
Be sure to make everything subservient to your mental 
improvement. And though your efibrts should not at 
once be crowned with the highest results, be not dis- 
heartened, — only persevere, you may yet succeed far 
beyond your most sanguine expectations. Advance- 
ment in knowledge is usually so gradual as to be per- 
ceived least by him who makes it. Hence, if you have 
to slowly remove stone after stone in your way climbing 



23 



upward; be it so. You need not regret this. Yo« 
know that you are gaining at least some ground, and 
this ought to be enough to stimulate you to contmue to 
labor with so much greater zeal. And if you do so, 
your path will gradually shift its course in your favor, 
and labor will become easier as you become stronger. 
The hi-her you ascend, the brighter your sky will be- 
come and the further you will be able to see. You are 
surely gaining ground. One difficulty after another 
vanishes like fog before the rising sun, and you begm to 
breathe more freely and to taste the first fruits of your 
toil in the satisfaction your success affords you. it tbe 
little progress you have made gives you such exqmsite 
delight, what unspeakable rapture must fill your soul, 
when, after many years' labor, you shall stand high up 
and gather into your bosom streams of light and knowl- 
edge • The harder you toil and the higher you ascend, 
the more glorious will your prospect become and the 
sweeter and more abundant your reward. If you are 
feeble now and cannot do much, then do a little every 
day. For a little gold, if it is not as heavy, is as bright 
as much, and a little flower may be more beautiful and 
redolent than a large one. Variety is one of Gods 
wavs. As one star differs from another in glory, and 
their various rays melt and blend in sweet harmony m 
the field of space to light up the heavens ; so each mind 
differing from each, may in the field of know edge shed 
its influence in unison with all others to swel the glori- 
ous orchestra of the universe of mind. The little mind 
can twinkle and shine as well as the little star. Who 
would be blind in mid-day, when God has given him 



24 

^yee to gee ? Study, then, and seek knowledge, gee, 
rejoice, and shine forever. 

Not only does knowledge yield its possessor inexpres- 
sible satisfaction, but it also elevates and ennobles the 
mind. And who would not wish and labor hard to rise 
in the intellectual world, and thus i3rove, maintain and 
vindicate, his superiority of excellence over the lower 
orders of creation ? God made man in his own image> 
and crowned him with glory and honor. He stands 
onlj^ a little lower than the angels ; and I am not sure 
but he may through Jesus Christ stand beside or even 
above angels. And shall a being so exquisitely formed, 
and formed for ends so high, ignore his exalted charac- 
ter and bury his crown in the dust ? No ; surely every 
one will instinctively spring to his feet and lay claim to 
the dignity and exalted position he holds as man. Noble 
creature ! compound of spirit immortal and of the dust 
of earth. God has endowed him with a memory te- 
nacious and a niind inquisitive, ever active, ever seek- 
ing and never finding its bound, ever storing and never 
stored with knowledge, ever desiring and never satis- 
fied, ever flying on wings of light from world to world 
and yet never from home, always toiling and always 
weary and yet always striving to mount higher and high- 
er to reach the center of bliss and rest in God. Possessed 
of such inherent powers and asj)irations so lofty, does 
the mind not deserve to be winged with knowledge to 
aid it in its upward flight ? and does not our position as 
lords of this sublunary world, and our intimate relation 
to God as the Father of our spirits, imperatively demand 
that we rise high above the low level of fogs and clouds 



25 

and darkness ? Goodness and knowledge are the ele- 
ments of man's true greatness. Be the possessor of 
both, and you will be noble in your humility and humble 
in your nobility of soul. 

Knowledge enables us to do good and glorify God, 
and therefore we should seek it. Knowledge is power. 
Hence the influence which the educated man exerts on 
the uneducated. As certainly as the planets are drawn 
by the sun, and the moons by their planets, so certainly 
do men of great knowledge draw those who are less in- 
formed. A man may be pious, but if he is ignorant, he 
can do little good; but if he is both pious and educated he 
will have influence and may be the honored instrument 
of doing much good to many, and thus he glorifies God 
with his knowledge. As we can do good and glorify 
God by our knowledge, it is clearly our duty to strive 
to know as much as lies in our power. Not only is it 
the duty of the minister of the gospel to study in order 
to increase his usefulness, but it is every Christian's sa- 
cred duty to improve his mind for the sake of doing oth- 
ers good. It is a sin of omission for any one to hide or 
neglect the talent or talents his Master has given him. 
The obligation to do our utmost to gain knowledge is bin- 
ding on all. To study in order to increase our useful- 
ness, is a duty we owe our God, ourselves and our fel- 
low-men, and no one, who willfully or for the sake of 
ease neglects or refuses to discharge this duty, will be 
held guiltless at the great day of account. The slothful 
servant will be bound and ^'cast into outer darkness." 
No one can excuse himself. If you have not ten talents, 
you may have five; and if you have not five, you have 



26 

at least one, — improve that one faithfully, and you shall 
have more. But if you will not improve the little you 
have, you prove yourself unworthy of more, and what 
you have shall be taken from you, because you are a 
'^wicked and imjDrofitable servant." To study is a duty 
as imperative as any other, and neglect to perform it in- 
volves the glory of God and perils our souls and the 
souls of others. I would have every one warned and 
take warning on this subject. There are some, yea many, 
of whom better things ought to be reasonably expected, 
who consider themselves absolved from attending to 
this duty. They seem to think it well enough that cer- 
tain classes should know something ; but as for them- 
selves, they consider it unnecessary, that they should 
condescend to such drudgery. Very well ; if you will 
not labor to increase the number of your talents — if you 
will not study to bless yom* fellow-men and glorify God 
— you must not think that the Lord is a cruel Master, 
if he disinherits you and commands you to be bound 
and cast into outer darkness. Jesus Christ says: "He 
that is not with me, is against me ; and he that gathereth 
not with me, scattereth abroad." 

Finally, what we learn in time we learn for eternity, 
and therefore we should now study to increase our 
knowledge to the utmost of our power. It is the opinion 
of many metaphysicians that nothing of what we here 
know will be wholly forgotten in the eternal world, and 
that every idea we have ever had, though forgotten 
now, is so impressed upon the soul and locked U23 in its 
inner recesses, as to survive time, and will in the day 
of eternity stand in full view before us. This opinion 



27 

seems to be sustained by the holy Scriptures and well au- 
thenticated facts. How careful we should be to study and 
read nothing that is impure, and to entertain no thought 
that we would not wish to revive on our sick bed, or in 
our dying hour, or confront us at the judgment-bar ! *) 
But think we must; the soul cannot be wholly inactive; 
it is a living principle. Only let us be careful to think 
aright on right subjects, and then we will lay up treas- 
ures in Heaven. Your labor to gain knowledge is not 

* If not a thought or idea we have ever had be ever wholly lost, with 
what care should parents and others act and speak in the presence of chil- 
dren, whose minds, like an open soil, are so susceptible of deep and abi- 
ding impressions ! and what constant diligence should they exercise that 
children neither hear nor see, read or in company learn any thing that may 
vitiate their minds by corrupt ideas ! The tree is in the bud. A handful of 
sand will turn the course of a rivulet, whilst a rushing stream will sweep all 
away before it. So one unfortunate idea may turn the whole of life into a 
course of iniquity, which, unarrested in time, will rush on in the soul's be- 
ing through all eternity. Is this not one reason, not to mention others, why 
God so solemnly and repeatedly charges parents to continually teach and 
keep the minds of their children occupied and engaged in the study of the 
pure lofty, holy, and eternal truths of the Bible? See Deut. 6: 1-9. The 
forming process is still going on and the impressions the mind receives will 
characterize it, and determine its condition in the eternal world. No pa- 
rent can be indifferent as to who instructs his child at school, or as to what 
mental food it receives. Far better no ideas than bad ones. Adults, also, 
receive these impressions and their minds are yielding to them. To be 
convinced of this, we need but observe how readily members of a congre- 
gation will imitate in their prayers the phraseology the pastor uses in his 
prayers, so that it is not difficult, in some cases, to tell under whose min- 
istry a man received his training or to what denomination he belongs. 
Hence, it cannot be a matter of indifference who our spiritual teacher is or 
to what denomination we belong-that teaching and mode of worship which 
are more consonant to heaven, and are therefore eternal, must be preferred. 
If then, as we suppose, ideas or thoughts are indestructible, how great is 
the responsibility of ministers of the gospel, of parents and teachers, of 
editors and writers of books, &c., and with what prayerful diligence should 
they seek to say or do, teach or publish, nothing that they would not wish 



28 

lost, and Avill not be buried with your body in the dust. 
Every correct idea you gain and every progress you 
make in true knowledge in time, is so much progress 
made and knowledge gained for eternity. This thought, 
how appalling to the wicked ! how encouraging to the 
righteous ! If you are a child of God, take courage and 
study on. You are climbing heaven-ward. Exhaust 
your time and improve your mind so as to stand on 
vantage-ground in eternity. Your progress here is so 
much progress there. So much correct information 
gained on earth, is so much gained for heaven. It can- 
not be that all knowledge gained here should be oblite- 
rated there. Shall we know Jesus here, and shall we 
not know him there ? Yes, thank God, we shall know 
him, and see him too ! Shall we know our friends on 
earth, and shall we cease to know them in heaven, or 
shall we know less there than here ? We shall know 
them. And so of all correct knowledge acquired in 
time. Truth is eternal, and the same in heaven and on 
earth ; hence what of truth we know here we will know 
there, except only that, in the transition, the imperfect 
will give place to the perfect and the incorrect to the 
correct. Further : we shall not only know there what 
we know here, but as the soul is susceptible of indefinite 
and constant progress in knowledge here, may it not 

to reappear in their own minds or in tlio minds of others at the bar of God 
and live on for ever in themselves or others a worm that never dies. In 
this note our object is to merely suggest some few obvious inferences de- 
ducible from the proposition we lay down, viz., that w^hat we learn in time 
we learn for eternity. It does not comport with our design at present to 
discuss that proposition. The intelligent hearer can himself easily enlarge 
on it. It is a f;u"tfu1 nr.d a v. full}' important .^^nhj-ct. 



29 

progress from eternity to eternity in gaining knowledge 
there ? Does an infant in glory always remain an in- 
fant in knowledge ? If there is a limit beyond which 
the soul can gain knowledge no more, there its aspira- 
tions must cease and its flow of hapj^iness is arrested. 
But such a limit cannot be in heaven. Hence, the soul 
in glory will rise higher in bliss in proportion as its 
laiowledge increases. We on earth can rejoice alone in 
what we know, and not in wlmt we know not. Now, 
if amid all our infirmities of body, of imperfections and 
obstructions, the immortal soul struggles upward and 
soars aloft as on eagles' wings to gather rich treasures 
of knowledge, and is happy in proportion to the amount 
of that knowledge, how inexpressibly great must its 
progress in knowledge and happiness be, when released 
from this cumbrous clay and removed from all imper- 
fection, it has gained its native heaven, and' in the full 
blaze of eternal day, hard by the throne of God, looks 
deep into the mysteries of divine grace, surveys the 
wonders of redeeming love, exults in the displays 
of God's power and the manifestations of his wis- 
dom, adores as scene after scene passes in the re- 
volving ages of eternity — passes not so fast as to confuse 
nor so slow as to tire, always new and always varied, 
profound and vast and yet simple and easily understood 
— all understood by the soul, which is not a spectator 
merely, but a receiver and a reflector of the glory of 
God and of heaven, infinitely blessed and always bles- 
sing and praising the great God, of whose kingdom 
there is no end, with the host of heaven crying, Halle- 
lujah, the Lord reigne^h ! The great progress which 



30 

the soul makes forever in knowledge in the world of 
glory must be one of the chief sources of its happiness ; 
and as that j)rogress has no limits, so its happiness has 
none. With these high motives before him, let each 
one persevere in study and thus gain for himself a high 
position on earth and a bright crown in heaven, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. 



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